GOP Abandons Candidate Upon Discovery Of His Past

Republican leaders in Oregon have abandoned a legislative candidate after learning he served eight months in a Michigan jail on accusations he assaulted his mother's boyfriend and then punched her in the mouth when she tried to intervene.
The Salem Statesman Journal (http://stjr.nl/1wC7bMn ) reports top leaders told Casey Runyan of Reedsport he's on his own in a House campaign.
Runyan won a primary contest, and then the story surfaced about his record in Michigan, where he grew up. A sheriff's department report says he came to his mother's house from a bar in 2004 and started the attack. He was arrested on drunken driving and assault charges and pleaded guilty.
Runyan says he's stopped drinking to excess and has had a clean record since then, including Marines service in Iraq.